18 THE FATE OF MAN
former anointed monarchs* Chaos has begun to
make itself felt within history. But the source of
chaos is not only in nature, as Tiutchev saw it.
There is the same element in history. Contrasted
with the rationalizing element in history we find
a strong force of the irrational Lashed by the
chaos of history, buffeted by storms of irrational
forces, wounded by the fatality of history, man
consents to a transition into an era of non-human
existence.
The war was the catastrophic moment which
disclosed that chaos moves beneath the false
civilisation of capitalism. The war was chaos,
organized by forced labour. For chaos may
wear an appearance of complete external organisa-
tion. And since the war, man is not merely
willing, but actively desires to live in the obliga-
torily-organized chaos which expresses itself in
the authoritarian form of life.
The evil and hatred which torment the world
to-day are chaos. An organization which in the
final analysis not only permits, but actually exalts
hatred and evil, can never conquer chaos* True
victory over chaos demands an effort of the spirit,
spiritual change and renaissance. This depends,
not on the fatality of history, not on dark and
irrational forces, but upon human Eberty and the
power of Divine grace. But in modern te&deiK&efc
it* the world we find neither the spirit
TVNews
OpenLibrary